CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR star Kyle Busch died last week from hemorrhagic shock and disseminated intravascular coagulation after complications from bacterial pneumonia led to sepsis, according to the death certificate for the two-time Cup Series champion.
Busch had been experiencing symptoms of bacterial pneumonia for “days to weeks” before sepsis set in, according to the certificate obtained by The Associated Press in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.
The manner of death was listed as “natural.” The death certificate also said Busch, who was 41, was cremated in Mooresville after an autopsy.
Busch’s family announced Saturday that his death came after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming complications.
Sepsis is considered a life-threatening medical emergency that occurs when the body has an extreme, overactive response to an infection, causing the immune system to damage its own tissues and organs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Typically the immune system releases chemicals to fight off pathogens like bacteria, viruses or fungi, but with sepsis, the response goes into overdrive. The results can cause widespread inflammation, form microscopic blood clots and make blood vessels leak.
Busch had been plenty busy leading up to his death despite being sick.
He was thought to have had a sinus cold while racing at Watkins Glen International on May 10 and radioed in to his Richard Childress Racing No. 8 Chevrolet team saying that he needed a “shot” from a doctor after the race on the permanent road course in New York.
However, he continued racing and won the third-tier Truck Series race at Delaware’s Dover Motor Speedway on May 15, then finished 17th in the NASCAR All-Star Race two days after that and five days before his death. He also attended the opening of a go-kart track with his 11-year-old son, Brexton, last week.
Busch was preparing for the Coca-Cola 600 at Concord’s Charlotte Motor Speedway when the family announced he would not be competing in what is annually the longest race on the Cup Series schedule due to a “severe illness.”
Busch was testing in the Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord on May 20 when he became unresponsive and was taken to a hospital in Charlotte, several people familiar with the situation told the AP. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because those details had not been disclosed by Busch’s team or family.
An unidentified caller on an emergency 911 call placed late that afternoon told the dispatch: “I’ve got an individual that’s (got) shortness of breath, very hot, thinks he’s going to pass out, and is producing a little bit of blood, coughing up some blood.”
The caller said Busch was lying on the bathroom floor inside the complex and told dispatch “he is awake,” according to audio provided by the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office. The man gave directions on where emergency responders should go and asked that they turn off any sirens upon arrival.
Busch was taken to a hospital, where he died the following day.
The winner a record 234 races across NASCAR’s top three national series, most of his success came with Joe Gibbs Racing — including the 2015 and 2019 Cup Series championships — before he moved on to join Richard Childress Racing ahead of the 2023 season.
NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell called Busch a certain first-ballot NASCAR Hall of Famer and said there was some conversation about adding him to the 2027 class of inductees announced earlier this month even though the selection process had already been completed.
While this past weekend’s NASCAR races at Charlotte included multiple tributes to Busch, some involving his family, no public memorial has been announced.